Every Orthodontist has at some point or other come across patients who are difficult and really hard-to-please. That is a part of the profession however there are some patients who are more than just difficult. The reason behind this could be that they are suffering from a psychiatric condition known as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

The study that was conducted by the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and the results shared in Feb 2011 found this out.

Education on BDD is an extremely important factor for orthodontists. This is especially true for those orthodontists who see a large amount of adult patients according to author of this study.

What could be the warning signs for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and how could the orthodontist nail it down?

The first sign is those patients who perform certain compulsive behaviors or express obsessive thoughts. This could be in the form of stressing and emphasizing that they want things to be perfect all the time. If a patient reiterates this over and over again then this is a signal for the orthodontist to look deeper.

Secondly, those patients who count, tap, or repeat certain words or concerns repeatedly or go on to ask the same question in spite of the orthodontist having answered them.

Thirdly, those patients who state how a precise defect they want corrected make them concerned or embarrassed. Also, patients, who look in the mirror and only see that precise flaw staring out at them, and the flaw that they are talking about is a minor concern. These minor flaws could be incipient dental rotation or minimal inter-dental spacing